Trivia Q&A: January 29

We had one of the best nights of Trivia ever on Tuesday night, as Professor Thom's was as crowded as I've ever seen it for any Trivia Night. We had a new record number of teams: 24 in all. (A few people actually asked me if the bar had had a write up in either the New York Times or Time Out New York.) And the scores were as high as I've ever seen them on any night. (It was either a case of the questions were a bit too easy or we had a high percentage of smart people there last night. Probably a combo of the two.)

The scores were very high for Current Events, and especially for Super Bowl Trivia, as admittedly they weren't the hardest questions about the Super Bowl. (Exactly half the teams got a perfect ten in the round.) The True or False round also saw some very high scores. And by the conclusion of the fourth round, an amazing 14 of the 24 teams were within five points of the lead.

The scores were good for IQ Trivia as well, as three teams answered 4 of the 5 correctly for 21 points. We also had two of the teams tied for first after the round was over, both at 59 points. So, to break the tie, I asked them a baseball question, and about the Red Sox specifically. (Neither team had any Red Sox fans so I thought it was fair.)

The question I asked was: "In 2007, Mike Lowell set a new Red Sox record for RBI by a third baseman. How many did he drive in?" The answer is 120, and the team of Hillary Clinton's Victory Cigar was the winner, as they had the closest number to the actual answer. Congratulations to them.

It was great to see such a huge crowd for Trivia on Tuesday, especially since the bar was pretty empty on Monday. We are building a nice loyal following, and I thank you all for coming out for it.

Current Events

1. Kirsten Haglund, a 19-year old from this state, was crowned Miss America on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

2. Novak Djokovic won the men's final of this tennis Grand Slam tournament on Sunday.

3. After losing a motion of confidence in his country's Senate, Prime Minister Romano Prodi of this nation resigned.

4. This Las Vegas hotel and casino caught fire on its upper floors on Friday, but no injuries were reported.

5. Name one of the two candidates to bow out of the presidential primaries over the past seven days.

6. Former president Suharto, who ruled over this Asian country for 32 years and eliminated over one million political opponents, died on Sunday.

7. This Oscar-nominated film won the Best Picture award Sunday night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

8. Gordon Hinckley, who was president of this church for 13 years, died Sunday at the age of 97.

9. This Western city was recently chosen "The Most Dangerously Drunk City" in America by Men's Health magazine.

10. This film spoof grossed over $18 million last weekend and became the number one film in America last week.

Answers: 1. Michigan; 2. Australian Open; 3. Italy; 4. Monte Carlo; 5. Fred Thompson and Dennis Kucinich; 6. Indonesia; 7. "No Country For Old Men;" 8. Mormon; 9. Denver; 10. "Meet the Spartans."

Super Bowl Trivia

1. In what year did the Giants win their last Super Bowl? a. 1987; b. 1991; c. 2001; d. 1997.

2. What college did Tom Brady go to? a. Ohio State; b. Michigan State; c. Stanford; d. Michigan.

3. In which state is this Sunday's Super Bowl being played? a. Arizona; b. California; c. Florida; d. Louisiana.

4. How many Super Bowls have the New England Patriots won in their history? a. 2; b. 3; c. 4; d. 5.

5. Which team lost four Super Bowls in four straight years? a. Denver Broncos; b. Minnesota Vikings; c. Buffalo Bills; d. Seattle Seahawks.

6. Which team did the Patriots defeat to win their first Super Bowl title in 2002? a. Chicago Bears; b. Green Bay Packers; c. Philadelphia Eagles; d. St. Louis Rams.

7. Which of the following teams has never won a Super Bowl? a. Indianapolis Colts; b. Tampa Bay Bucs; c. Jacksonville Jaguars; d. Washington Redskins.

8. What year did the New York Jets win their only Super Bowl? a. 1969; b. 1973; c. 1983; d. 1975.

9. What NFL team was Bill Belichick the head coach of before the Patriots? a. Cincinnati Bengals; b. Cleveland Browns; c. Detroit Lions; d. New York Giants.

10. What head coach has led both the Giants and the Patriots to the Super Bowl? a. Bill Belichick; b. Tom Coughlin; c. Jim Fassel; d. Bill Parcells.

Answers: 1. b; 2. d; 3. a; 4. b; 5. c; 6. d; 7. c; 8. a; 9. b; 10. d.

True or False ("The Q Train")

1. The stage is the part of a microscope that holds a slide for viewing.

2. In baking, shortening is a type of cornstarch.

3. The 19th century novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is set in the city of Paris.

4. In mathematics, a parabola looks like a circle.

5. Thomas Jefferson never attended college.

6. In humans, red blood cells transports oxygen throughout the bloodstream.

7. Concord, MA is famous for a variety of grape.

8. A balaclava is typically worn to keep the hands warm.

9. Monterey Jack is a type of children's game.

10. The Salvation Army is actually a religious organization.

Answers: 1. true; 2. false, it's a type of fat; 3. true; 4. false, looks like a curve; 5. false, he did; 6. true; 7. true; 8. false, keeps the head warm; 9. false, it's a kind of cheese; 10. true.

General Knowledge

1. The 1997 HBO film starring Ving Rhames and subtitled "Only in America" tells the story of whom?

2. The zipper was originally invented to fasten what article of clothing?

3. What is the only state whose capital has three words in its name?

4. What comic was once arrested for performing his piece "The Seven Words You Can't Say on Television?"

5. In Roman mythology, Cupid is the son of what goddess?

6. Jim's Dad and Stifler's Mom are characters from what popular teen movie?

7. What kind of animal is a Komodo dragon?

8. By definition, a probate court hears cases that involve what?
9. Where do members of the Electoral College usually go to cast their ballots?
10. Ankara is the capital of what country?

Answers: 1. Don King; 2. boots; 3. Utah; 4. George Carlin; 5. Venus; 6. "American Pie;" 7. lizard; 8. wills; 9. their state capital; 10. Turkey.

IQ Trivia

1. In the novel "Little Women," in what war did the father of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy serve? ( 5 points)

2. The United Nations flag depicts a map of the world surrounded by what? ( 5 points)

3. In 2000, what movie actress wrote the best-selling children's book "Where Do Balloons Go?"( 6 points)

4. In which US state was General George Custer's "last stand?" ( 4 points)

5. In 1957, the "Little Rock Nine" were at the center of what controversy? ( 5 points)

Answers: 1. The Civil War; 2. olive branches; 3. Jamie Lee Curtis; 4. Montana; 5. school desegregation.